Willis wait

Wednesday

Feb 6, 2013 at 6:00 AM

for now — arrived in Worcester Monday regarding the shutdown of the Willis Center.

The state sent a letter to Mayor Joseph M. Petty, saying it had serious concerns about the human service agency’s financial management. Further, a state Office of Health and Human Services spokesman told the Telegram & Gazette that law enforcement authorities have been contacted.

The doors officially shut today at the Henry Lee Willis Community Center, with main offices on Forest Street. Over the last few weeks, most of its clients have been transitioned to other service providers, uprooting routines, taking jobs, and causing consternation and anger.

But the core concern has been the question why. A representative from HHS had been invited to a City Council committee meeting Monday, but the letter — from Marilyn Anderson Chase, HHS assistant secretary for children and families — was sent to the mayor instead.

The nonprofit Willis Center had more than $11 million in state funding abruptly pulled in December. The focus must remain on careful, and quick, adjustments in service delivery. New placements that are thoughtfully organized, with a priority on convenience and effectiveness for the Worcester-area residents served, translates to state money being wisely spent, and less chance of further disruption in the future.

Beyond that, we must wait. The state would not engineer such an upheaval without cause. There must be a thorough investigation, and when it is complete, the public must be given the fuller answer it deserves.